Making a Killing

Leading American politicians of both major parties appear to share an extreme reluctance to openly criticize the human rights abuses of Saudi Arabia.

Elite sectors of the West want everyone to avert their eyes from this deep and close relationship with the Saudis for good reason: It single-handedly destroys almost every propagandistic narrative told to the Western public about that region.

Support for human rights abuses and tyranny — not opposition to it — is a staple of U.S. foreign policy. Standing alone, how can anyone believe that the same government that lavishes the Saudi regime with support is waging war or using other forms of violence in order to stop human rights abuses?

The Saudi-led bombing campaign across Yemen is hitting civilians and adding to an already desperate humanitarian crisis.

The surveillance company Hacking Team used a prominent defense contractor to sell spyware to the UAE.

As Saudi Arabia hires Republican lobbyists, the GOP demands that President Obama follow the Saudi agenda in the Middle East grow.

Mike Allen’s obsequious, pay-to-play Playbook was once hailed by <em>The New York Times</em> as a must-read for Washington’s “elite set of political and news-media thrivers and strivers.” For me, it’s most useful as a shameless chronicle of what that elite group cares about — and how it lives.

Foundation excluded UAE from its online list of donors — even though it was a top contributor.